4 reasons trucks can cause accidents

4 reasons trucks can cause accidents

Posted By
Eliot Reiner

Here in the United States, commercial vehicles such as large trucks and
semis are a huge part of our economy because they are one of the few ways
to get goods from one part of the nation to another. Unfortunately, commercial
vehicles account for a large number of crashes each year as well, which
makes them both beneficial and dangerous all at the same time.

In many states across the nation, including here in California, truck drivers
are given special training that is supposed to help them operate these
vehicles in the safest possible manner. But as our Sacramento readers
know, truck accidents still occur, which begs the question: why? The answer
lies in four common factors that typically lead to a majority of crashes
across the nation.

1.) Even though truck drivers are trained to check their blind spots before
changing lanes or executing a turn, sometimes this doesn't always
occur. In some cases, a truck driver can become distracted and think they
looked when in fact they didn't. In other cases, the driver of a smaller
vehicle could enter into a truck driver's blind spot after they have
checked it. Whatever is the case, this can lead to serious accidents that
almost always leave the other vehicle severely damaged.

2.) Driver fatigue is another major contributor to truck accidents in the
U.S. Despite state and federal laws that penalize truck drivers who operate
commercial vehicles while fatigued, tight schedules and pressure from
their employer to deliver on time can force a driver into a dangerous
situation for which they believe there is no alternative. Decisions such
as this though can leave both a driver and their employer liable for damages,
including injuries, in a crash.

3.) If a truck driver under negotiates a turn, a smaller vehicle can easily
be struck or run over, causing considerable damage, including injuries.
If this turn occurs when pedestrians are present, one could be struck
and even killed. Cases such as this can occur when a driver miscalculates
a turn before executing it.

4.) Driving in bad weather can be dangerous, but driving too fast for conditions
can make things even more hazardous. This is a huge problem for truck
drivers because their vehicles are so large and heavy, it may be impossible
to avoid an accident. This form of negligence does leave the truck driver
liable for damages though.